Unwrapping

When my daughters, nieces, and nephews were younger, we would play a game during Christmas in which we would sit in a circle and pass a package that had been wrapped with multiple layers of colorful Christmas paper. As in musical chairs, we listened to cheerful Christmas music as we passed the package. When the music stopped, the person holding the package unwrapped a layer of paper until a different color of Christmas wrapping paper showed through. With laughter and smiles, we unwrapped until the small gift in the center was finally found. 

The unwrapping shaped the joy. It was the being together and waiting for the center gift to emerge that gave rise to the joy. Advent is a slow unwrapping.

How can you enjoy this present moment in Advent? How can you be present to God’s intentional unwrapping of your life right now? How can you slow down and savor the joy of now rather than waiting to experience joy later?

God is with you, creating you and unwrapping you.